Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmuskyfa Lemon’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Zanmuskyfa Lemon’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly spherical plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit, dense and full plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; uniform and freely flowering habit; long flowering period; decorative-type inflorescences with ray florets that are light yellow in color; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum X morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ZANMUSKYFA LEMON’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum X morifolium, commercially referred to as a Garden Mum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Zanmuskyfa Lemon’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new uniform spherically-shaped and freely flowering Chrysanthemum plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum x morifolium ‘Zanmuskyfa White’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,606. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected as a single flowering plant from within a population of plants of ‘Zanmuskyfa White’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in July, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetative terminal cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands since September, 2014. Asexual reproduction by vegetative terminal cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Zanmuskyfa Lemon’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Zanmuskyfa Lemon’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly spherical plant         habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   5 Long flowering period.     -   6. Decorative-type inflorescences with ray florets that are         light yellow in color.     -   7. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the mutation parent, ‘Zanmuskyfa White’. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Zanmuskyfa White’ in ray floret color as plants of the new Chrysanthemum have light yellow-colored ray florets whereas plants of ‘Zanmuskyfa White’ have white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Zanmuaval Yelimp’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,607. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from plants of ‘Zanmuaval Yelimp’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller inflorescences         than plants of ‘Zanmuaval Yelimp’.     -   2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are lighter         yellow in color than ray florets of plants of ‘Zanmuaval         Yelimp’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Zanmuskyfa Lemon’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 17-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands under natural daylengths during the summer and autumn and under cultural practices generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 25° C. and night temperatures ranged from 8° C. to 15° C. Plants were 19 weeks from planting when the photograph was taken and the detailed description was taken on plants from 15 to 20 weeks after planting. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum X morifolium ‘Zanmuskyfa     Lemon’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Chrysanthemum     x morifolium ‘Zanmuskyfa White’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.     28,606. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—By vegetative tip cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About six to eight days at             temperatures about 12° C. to 23° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 12 to 13             days at temperatures about 12° C. to 23° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically close to 164D in             color, actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type Chrysanthemum; stems             upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly rounded             appearance to the plant; plants spherical in overall shape;             very freely branching habit, about nine to ten primary             lateral branches develop, each primary lateral branch with             about ten secondary branches; dense and full plant habit;             moderately vigorous growth habit and moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 45 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 17 cm. Diameter: About             1.5 mm. Internode length: About 1 cm. Strength: Moderately             weak. Aspect: About 30° to 45° from vertical. Texture and             luster: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged; matte. Color:             Close to 138B; with development, becoming closer to 199A.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 2.2 cm             to 6.8 cm. Width: About 0.6 cm to 3.2 cm. Shape: Elliptic to             obovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately             lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent and medium in             depth. Texture and luster, upper surface: Pubescent;             slightly glossy. Texture and luster, lower surface:             Pubescent; matte. Venation: Pinnate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A. Developing leaves,             lower surface: Close to 138A. Fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Close to NN137A to NN137B; venation, close to 147D.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138A;             venation, close to 148D. Petioles: Length: About 5 mm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture             and luster, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent;             semi-glossy. Color, upper surface: Close to 147D. Color,             lower surface: Close to 148D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form;             inflorescences borne on terminals above foliar plane; ray             florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum; inflorescences             facing upright to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pungent.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower from week 42 to week 46 in The Netherlands.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three weeks in an outdoor nursery;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 800 inflorescences develop             per plant.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 2 mm. Diameter: About             4 mm. Shape: Rounded. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             semi-glossy. Color: Close to 150D.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.5 cm to 3 cm.         -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 6 mm.         -   Disc diameter.—To date, disc floret development has not been             observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 1.5 mm.         -   Receptacle shape.—Domed.         -   Receptacle color.—Close to 138D.         -   Ray florets.—Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About             150 ray florets arranged in about ten whorls. Length,             developed: About 0.6 cm to 1.2 cm. Width, developed: About 2             mm to 5 mm. Shape, developing: Narrowly elliptic. Shape,             developed: Elliptic. Apex, developing and developed: Acute.             Base, developing and developed: Attenuate. Margin,             developing and developed: Entire; not undulate. Aspect,             developing and developed: Mostly flat. Texture and luster,             developing and developed, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous;             slightly glossy. Texture and luster, developing and             developed, lower surface: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:             When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 9A. Fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 5A; color becoming closer to             11C with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to             5D; color becoming closer to 163D with development.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 18             phyllaries arranged in about three whorls. Length: About             5 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Apex:             Acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; semi-glossy. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: Close to 139A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 4 cm to 5 cm.             Length, third peduncle: About 5 cm. Diameter, terminal             peduncle: About 1.5 mm. Diameter, third peduncle: About             1.2 mm. Strength: Moderately weak. Texture and luster:             Pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 138B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Number of pistils per ray floret: One. Pistil length: About             4 mm. Style length: About 3.8 mm. Style color: Close to             154C. Stigma diameter: About 1 mm. Stigma shape: Forked.             Stigma color: Close to 7A. Ovary color: Close to 149D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit production have             not been observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good garden performance and will tolerate temperatures     ranging from about 4° C. to about 30° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Zanmuskyfa Lemon’ as illustrated and described. 